James Gunn Confirms His Superman Movie Sequel Will Have a Major Villain – Here Are The 5 Most-Likely Threats

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James Gunn, co-CEO of DC Studios, has been building anticipation for a major new villain that will appear in the upcoming film, *Man of Tomorrow*. Following the positive reception to the recent *Superman* movie, Gunn is now focusing on his next project within the first chapter of the new DC universe. *Man of Tomorrow*, scheduled for release on July 9, 2027, and starting production in 2026, will be a sequel to *Superman*, continuing the story after Superman and Lex Luthor’s battle. Gunn is already setting the stage for this storyline, with hints appearing in the second season of *Peacemaker*, currently streaming on HBO Max.

After the recent announcement about *Man of Tomorrow*, James Gunn discussed the major villain for the upcoming DCU film on *The Howard Stern Show*. He suggested the *Superman* sequel will feature David Corenswet as Superman and Nicholas Hoult as Lex Luthor teaming up to face “a much, much bigger threat.”

The story centers around Lex Luthor and Superman reluctantly teaming up to face a far greater danger.

It appears the villain in *Man of Tomorrow* will be a greater threat than any we’ve seen in the DC Universe so far, even surpassing Lex Luthor and Ultraman from the *Superman* film. Looking at the comics, here are five likely candidates who could appear in *Man of Tomorrow*…

Brainiac

Brainiac is an incredibly intelligent robot from the planet Colu and a major enemy of Superman. He’s famous for being obsessed with gathering all the universe’s knowledge, and for a strange habit: shrinking entire cities and keeping them in bottles, like he did with Superman’s home city of Kandor.

For years, DC Comics fans have wanted the villain Brainiac to appear on screen, and Zack Snyder actually thought about including him in a sequel to *Man of Steel*. Many believe Brainiac, a super-intelligent robot, would be an ideal opponent for Superman in a follow-up movie, offering a different kind of challenge – a battle of wits – after Superman has usually fought villains who rely on physical strength.

James Gunn revealed in an interview with the *Happy Sad Confused* podcast that Brainiac was a potential villain for the *Superman* movie before they decided on Lex Luthor. This suggests Brainiac could appear in a future DC Universe film, possibly *Man of Tomorrow*.

The introduction of Brainiac in the *Man of Tomorrow* story might explain the surprising alliance between Lex Luthor and Superman. It would take more than just the Justice League’s strength to handle a threat of Brainiac’s intelligence, and the villain’s green and purple design could have been the basis for Luthor’s Warsuit.

Mongul

Mongul rules Warworld and is a relentless alien conqueror. He travels the universe taking over planets and enslaving their people, frequently clashing with Superman and the Justice League.

As a huge film fan, I always thought a Mongul storyline would be amazing on the big screen. This villain is seriously powerful – we’re talking Superman-level strength, and a real threat to the entire planet! It’s the kind of crisis that *forces* all of Earth’s heroes to team up, which is exactly what I want to see in a superhero movie.

It’s possible we’ve already seen Mongul’s daughter, Mongal, in the DC Universe. She was a character killed in *The Suicide Squad*, played by Mayling Ng. However, since that movie isn’t fully connected to the new DCU timeline being created by James Gunn, her story could be changed or ignored if Mongul appears in *Man of Tomorrow*.

Bizarro

Bizarro is a duplicate of Superman with a complicated history. He’s been portrayed in comics as everything from an unsuccessful clone to a native of a strange, alternate dimension called Bizarro World.

Let’s talk about David Corenswet’s Superman. He’s *already* faced a version of himself – Ultraman, Lex Luthor’s not-so-bright creation. And the way things ended, with Ultraman falling into that black hole? Honestly, it feels like a setup. I’m predicting we haven’t seen the last of that clone. I wouldn’t be surprised if he pops up again, maybe even more twisted and dangerous after being lost in whatever bizarre dimension that rift sent him to.

I recently spoke with James Gunn about the future of his DC Universe, and specifically, whether we might see Bizarro even after the introduction of Ultraman. His answer was characteristically coy – he told *Happy Sad Confused* it all depends on where the story goes next. Basically, he’s keeping his options open, and anything is possible at this point!

This situation could lead to an unlikely alliance between Superman and Lex Luthor, given that Ultraman was created through Lex’s cloning experiments. However, the storyline might be revisiting familiar territory too quickly, as the idea of a ‘good’ and ‘evil’ Superman has been explored before.

Zod

Like Superman, General Zod is a Kryptonian who survived the destruction of his home planet and possesses similar superpowers. However, instead of protecting Earth, Zod usually tries to conquer it. With Superman’s parents recently revealed to have villainous intentions, exploring Zod’s story in the DC Universe could add interesting depth to that plotline. While it would be a compelling addition, it doesn’t seem likely to happen immediately.

The Kryptonian general has battled both Christopher Reeve’s and Henry Cavill’s versions of Superman, and there are many more of Superman’s enemies yet to be explored. Plus, Michael Shannon recently returned as General Zod in 2023’s *The Flash*, a film that unfortunately wasn’t successful with either audiences or critics.

Lex Luthor’s hatred of Superman stems from Superman simply existing, which raises a question: how would he respond to another alien from Krypton who actually endangers Earth, seemingly proving Luthor’s biggest fears were justified all along?

Lobo

Lobo is a tough, intergalactic bounty hunter originally from the planet Czarnia. He’s a brutal fighter who uses a chained hook and travels by space bike. Many see him as Superman’s equal, but with a much more savage and unrestrained approach to combat.

As a big DC fan, I’m really excited about Jason Momoa taking on the role of Lobo! We’ll first see him as Lobo in the *Supergirl* movie coming out in 2026. Now, I was reading over at Nexus Point News, and they’re saying – though it’s based on unconfirmed reports – that Lobo might also show up in *Man of Tomorrow* at some point. It’s just a rumor for now, but it definitely got me thinking about the possibilities!

It’s notable that the character Lobo isn’t featured in the comic book *Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow*, which is the basis for the new movie. Because of this, his appearance in the film might be a hint that he’ll be a villain in a future *Man of Tomorrow* project.

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2025-09-28 17:06